Official newspaper of the Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin

ROXBURY — St. Norbert Parish, which celebrated its 176th anniversary in June, completed a long-needed project of repairing its 116-plus-year-old stained-glass windows.

The outer storm windows were causing the heat to rise in the church in the summer months making it undesirable for the wire and lead casings on the windows, and the parishioners.

As the wire and lead casings were heated, they began to soften, which caused the glass to curve and bulge over time. This can cause cracking or the eventual falling out of glass pieces.

Many of the parishes in the diocese are decorated with stained-glass windows, beautiful works of art depicting saints, the mysteries of the Rosary, the passion of Our Lord, and many other scenes and images.

Stained-glass windows help raise minds toward Heaven and prayer, making them not only decorative but a tool in which to help parishioners contemplate.

Over the past winter, St. Norbert began its project by asking parishioners to donate to cover the cost of putting in new storm windows, filling in cracks, flattening bulges, and reinforcing casings.

As for fundraising for the project, Parochial Vicar Fr. James Kotch commented that he was “floored by how generous everyone at St. Norbert’s is, especially after just completing the capital campaign project for the roof project. A fantastic team to be sure.”

The entire project was able to be covered by parishioners and other supporters of St. Norbert.

The company that repaired the windows, Willet-Hauser in Winona, Minn., has been working on stained-glass window design and repair for more than 120 years.

The process began by removing old protective covering, paint, and debris from the windows.

Then began the restoration by recementing the windows with a mixture of mineral spirits, glaze, and color to help clean and repack the glass. The windows were then caulked and painted.

Finally, a protective covering was added along with acrylic for the window frame.

The project repairing the stained-glass windows was completed in August.

Father Kotch and parishioners are very happy with the successful, smooth, and beautiful job with the stained-glass windows.

If you visit St. Norbert Parish or are a parishioner, ask about the circular stained-glass window located behind the altar.

The window is mostly hidden from view due to the painting of Our Lady with the Infant Jesus, St. Jerome, and St. Norbert, but the image is quite beautiful and has a very “convenient” location.

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